


Chasing After Him

by orphan_account



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Clingy Betty, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Heartbreak, Jarchie - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24687106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Although he did kiss back, he couldn’t feel the spark that he felt before when he kissed Betty the first time a few years ago. That scared Jughead a little, is this supposed to mean something? But Jug knew for sure that he still cared for Betty a lot, he cared for her like she’s the only thing that mattered in the world. Still, Jughead couldn’t get this sinking feeling in his stomach. So he kissed Betty again and hoped that it would go away. But it didn’t for the rest of the night.orJughead is dating the love of his life, Betty. He's in love with her, right? But Jughead doesn't feel right at prom until he goes to a pool party with his friends and he finds out who he really loves.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Is Betty the One?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading this. I'm kinda new here and I got inspired after reading some works on this platform. All of the ones I read are so good, so I'm sorry if my writing isn't as good as some of the others on the website. Also, I'm bad at making titles, so that's why it's kinda corny. Anyway, enjoy reading!

Jughead stepped out the backseat of Archie’s car, Betty right behind him and she immediately linked her arms with him. Archie and Veronica also got out of the car, everyone dressed their best. It’s senior prom.

All four of them stood outside the front doors of the school, “Can’t you guys believe that this is going to be our last prom ever?” Veronica gazed at the familiar glowing party lights inside the school.

“I don’t even think I’m even ready for college,” Jughead joked. 

Betty grinned, “Then let’s party! It’s our last prom ever, so let’s make it the best.” Betty grabbed Jug by the hand and dragged him into the school. Jughead smiled and looked back at Archie and Veronica, giving them a look like he needs help as a joke. Ronnie and Archie both chuckled and followed them both in. 

As they gave the teacher their tickets, they finally entered the gym. Loud music playing, everyone dancing, having a good time, just like a high school prom should be. It was great that they were able to go to prom, with Mr.Honey, their old principal, trying to cancel it. They could finally act like teens one final time as all the drama that happened in the last few months slowly pushed to the back of people’s minds.

“I’m gonna get some punch,” Betty told Jughead, “I heard there’s a chocolate fountain,” and then she was off, heading towards the snack table.

Veronica looked up at Archie, “I’ll go follow her, make sure that she doesn’t destroy anything,” she said. Then in a blink, she was also gone.

“Wow, both our dates ditched us the second we step inside the school,” joked Jughead as he found an empty table to sit at.

Archie laughed, “Probably to sneak off with each other,” Right then, both Betty and Veronica came back from the snack table with two red solo cups in each of their hands. Betty hands Jug one of the cups.

Jughead takes a sip, “Bleh... it tastes like sugar and water,” He sets down his cup on the table, Archie doing the same, not even trying the sugary drink.

“Well, that’s what makes it taste great,” Betty laughed and pulled him into the crowd of kids dancing like crazy. They danced their problems away, Jughead not even knowing where Archie or Veronica is anymore. The only thing that really mattered at the moment was Betty. She was a full-on party girl, her red solo cup mysteriously disappeared. 

After a while, the energy has run out of Jughead, and he leaves the huge crowd to his table, Betty probably looking for Veronica by now. 

Jug sees Archie sitting at the table, also probably burnt out from dancing as well. He plops down in the seat beside him and pulls out a flask from his suit pocket.

“Dude, you’re gonna get caught,” Archie warned him.

“How many times have we gotten away with something illegal we did?” Jughead rebuttals as he takes a drink from the flask.

“You’re right,” agreed Archie and he pulls the flask from Jug’s hand and takes a sip for himself.

Jughead looked over at Archie, “There you go,” he laughed, “not ‘golden boy’ anymore, huh?”

“I never was ‘golden boy’. I mean, I try to be,” Arch confessed. 

“Yeah, you’ve done so many stupid things that are definitely illegal,” teased Jughead. They both fall into a comfortable silence, watching people enjoy themselves. Then the pop song playing turned into a slow song and everyone started pairing up. Jug and Archie both looked at each other before he felt someone tapping his shoulder. 

Jughead turned around and saw Betty smiling, “C’mon Jug, it’s a slow song,” she said, already on her way to the dance floor again.

“Okay, okay,” Jughead put away the flask and followed her. He looked back at Archie and he gave him a smile and thumbs up. Then he left to go find Veronica.

Jug put his hands around Betty’s hips and she set her arms on his shoulders. He looked into her eyes as they shared a moment together. Betty then leaned in for a kiss and Jughead kissed back.

Although he did kiss back, he couldn’t feel the spark that he felt before when he kissed Betty the first time a few years ago. That scared Jughead a little, is this supposed to mean something? But Jug knew for sure that he still cared for Betty a lot, he cared for her like she’s the only thing that mattered in the world. Still, Jughead couldn’t get this sinking feeling in his stomach. So he kissed Betty again and hoped that it would go away. But it didn’t for the rest of the night. 

Jughead was sitting in a booth at Pop’s, working on his final essay for the year. And it’s one of the only times he had time alone. Betty has gotten pretty clingy after his whole death scare, it doesn’t help that they live in the same house now. But Betty had to stay at school late to work on the school newspaper or something like that.

As he typed away on his laptop, the bell at the front door jingled. He notices Archie walking in out of the corner of his eye. Archie sits down in front of him looking angry and stressed.

Jughead looked up from his laptop, “Woah, are you alright?” 

He put his head in his hands, “I just found out about something. Something about Ronnie,” 

“What?” Jughead asked, closing his laptop.

“Remember when we ran away last year? She got together with fucking Reggie while we were gone!” Archie’s stress turning into more anger.

Jughead is surprised but he doesn’t make a big deal about it, “Well, was she still seeing him after that?”

Archie sighed, “I talked to Reggie, he said it started when they worked at La Bonne Nuit,” he looks away and out the window.

“But didn’t you break up with her?” Jughead questioned.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think I would come back to Riverdale!” he began turning angry again, “but why with Reggie? He’s like, my brother!”

Jug became more concerned, “You should probably go talk to her. She’s not doing anything with him anymore, so you guys can probably talk it out,” Archie sighs and leans back in the booth. “Okay, c’mon, I’m buying us burgers and milkshakes,” he called Pop Tate over to take their order.

Jughead had to tell Pop Archie’s order because he didn’t feel like talking anymore.

“I don’t know what to do anymore,” Archie sighed.

“I’ve told you before, just go talk to her, she’ll understand,” Jug said again, “and I know what’ll get your mind off of this. Cheryl and Toni are having an ‘end of year pool party’ and we should go,”

Pop came back with both of their orders and set them on the table, “Enjoy,”

Archie tried to look composed and he smiled at Pop, “Thanks,” then he went back to moping again, “what if Ronnie’s there?”

“Are you guys broken up?” Jughead asked.

“Yes? No? I don’t know, man! It’s really weird right now,” Archie took a fry off his plate and takes a bite.

“But you’re still coming to the party, Veronica or no Veronica,” Jug took a bite out of his burger.

Archie groaned, “Fine,” Jughead grinned in response.

  
  



	2. Cheryl's Party

“Hey! Thanks for coming!” Cheryl chimed as Jughead and Betty walked into the house. She hugged Betty and kissed her on both cheeks. Archie followed behind them looking a little anxious and nervous as he searched around for Veronica.

Betty smiled, “Well, of course! We’re friends!”

“I don’t know about  _ that _ ,” Jughead laughed. Archie is silent because he finally spotted Veronica talking to Josie McCoy as they sat at the edge of the pool.

“Well, nice seeing you guys, but I gotta go find my beautiful girlfriend, toodles!” and then Cheryl was gone. 

Archie came up beside Jughead, “Dude, Ronnie’s here,” he whispered.

“Just act like she’s not there, okay. You should enjoy yourself,” Jughead replied, “get yourself a drink or something,”

Archie sighed, “Alright, I have nothing better to do anyway,” he then walked over to the kitchen to fetch a drink.

Jughead looked around the party, already pretty crowded even though the sun hasn’t set yet. Then he realized that Betty was gone. Jug searched around for Betty until he saw her in the backyard already talking to Veronica and Josie. She waved Jug over, already having a random drink in her hand. Betty probably doesn’t know what happened between Veronica and Archie because she’s being friendly with her.

Jug walked out into the backyard, trying his best to avoid Veronica because he knows it will be awkward. 

Betty giggled, “Hey, Juggie!” Betty wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“How did you just disappear and get a drink so quickly?” Jughead questioned.

“I’m a party girl, Juggie,” Betty then grabbed Jughead by the shirt and then turned to where Jughead’s back was facing towards the pool. She then lets go of him and pushes him into the pool.

The cold water of the pool hit Jughead’s skin which sent cold ripples through his body, but it was really refreshing. After being underwater for a moment or two, Jughead resurfaces and he shakes the water out of his hair. Betty is giggling and laughing.

Jug laughed, “You could’ve waited until I took my shirt off!” he then proceeded to take off his beanie and shirt and then tossed it to the side. Betty then jumped into the pool that made a huge splash all over Jughead. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him and gave Jughead a kiss. Jug kissed back but pulled away quickly.

“Get a room!” Veronica yelled jokingly.

It finally has gotten dark. There are bright neon lights that lit up the backyard with loud pop music playing. Everyone has finally arrived and has gotten drunk so everyone is in the party mood. Not Jughead though, for most of the party, Jughead followed Betty around talking to random people and playing random games. He also jumped off the roof and into the pool a few times because that was a thing people were doing. Somehow they ended up sitting in the living room on the couch together, relaxing, but Betty has definitely drunk a little too much. Archie’s sitting on the other couch also taking a break from the party, or a full day of avoiding Veronica. Jughead is just tired from following Betty and trying to look interested in the conversations that Betty got into.

“Hey… Jug,” Betty said drunkenly, “I have an idea… remember when you kissed Veronica?” her words are slurred.

Archie groaned, “I kinda don’t want to hear her name anymore,” he looks away from Betty and Jughead and took a sip out of his drink.

“N...no one was talking… to you, Arch” Betty said, waving her cup around.

“Um… yes? Why?” Jughead answered questionably.

“Well, I said that now all… of us,” she burps in the middle of her sentence, “have kissed each other… except... you and Archie,” she laughs, “you guys...should kiss… that way, we’re all… like… closer,”

Archie whipped his head around and gives Betty a confused look.

Jughead looked down at her, “Really?” she nods her head, giggling. Jughead sighs and gets up from the couch. 

Archie stares at Jug, “Wait, what?” he then looks over at Betty and she gestures to him to go ahead. Jughead sits on the armrest of the small couch Archie’s sitting on.

Jug grabbed Archie by the shoulders, “Let’s get this over with,” then he pressed his lips against Archie’s. Jughead felt mixed, he hated it, but he didn’t really hate it either. Archie also was sort of okay with it. Betty cheered in the background as their kiss lingered a little longer than when Jughead kissed Betty in the pool.

They both pulled away and there was an awkward tension. But Jug was pretty sure Betty liked it, or maybe it was because she was just drunk. Jughead didn’t really like the tension that was in the room right now so he stole Archie’s drink out of his hands and took a sip from it, it was strong. Archie stayed quiet because he was still processing what just happened.

“I’m gonna go get a refill,” Jughead says awkwardly as he gets off the sofa. 

“Wait! Can you get some more of me… too? I’m all out,” Betty asks, slurring her words.

“I think that’s enough alcohol for you tonight, Betty,” 

Betty groans, “C’mon,” she then tosses her empty cup at some random person’s head. They looked around, confused. “Oops…”

Jughead wanders over to the kitchen and grabs the first bottle of alcohol he saw, it didn’t really matter what it really was, he just wanted to drink something. He rethought everything that just happened a moment ago. Jughead has known Archie for almost all his life, as long as Archie has known Betty, since second grade, maybe even longer. It kind of surprised Jug that it took them until senior year until they finally kissed. Not that it had to be more than a friendship, just more of a “just close buddies” kind of thing. But Jughead always thought that Archie would’ve hated it and would stop being his friend, it would’ve thrown away the whole bond they had together. And Jughead would’ve missed being friends with Archie, he always had his back, even in second grade. Thinking about this triggers a memory in Jughead’s mind when he was 8.

Jughead flipped through one of Archie’s comic books, staring at the colorful pages and the super interesting and engaging superheroes, sitting in his treehouse. Jughead always wanted to be a superhero in these comics because their lives seemed so much more interesting than his old, normal life. Although, his parents weren’t getting along very well, which is not very normal or great. Jughead was getting tired of them arguing at night.

Jug looked up from the comic books and stared over at Archie who was sitting next to the window sill. He looks like he’s trying to carve something into the wood with a small pocket knife. 

“What are you carving over there, Arch?” Jug asked.

Archie looked up, “Just my name so this treehouse could really be mine,” he then looks back down and continues carving his name into the wood.

“Where did you get a knife? Isn’t that dangerous?” Jughead questioned.

“It’s my dad’s, and I’ll be okay, I’m careful enough,” he answers back as he still continues carving.

Jughead walks over to the window and sits down next to Archie, “Okay, let me try,” he sticks out his open hand to Archie.

Archie is still carving, “Wait, I’m almost done,” he finishes up the letter “e” in his name that is a little sloppy. “There,” Archie hands the pocketknife over to Jughead. “You know how to do this, right?”

“It’s not that hard,” Jughead said and started carving away. Almost immediately he slips up and accidentally cuts his finger. “Ow!” Jughead shouted.

“Oh jeez… let’s go get a band-aid,” they both climbed down from the treehouse and went inside the house. Archie’s dad was working in the living room.

He looked away from his laptop and at the kids who were entering in from the back door, “You kids need something?” he asked.

“Oh nothing, Jughead just cut his finger and we’re gonna get a band-aid,” Archie answered quickly.

“Are you alright, Jughead?” Archie’s dad asked, concerned

“Yes, I’m fine, Mr.Andrews,” Jughead mumbled as he followed Archie into the bathroom. He washes his hands in the sink as Archie grabbed a band-aid from the mirror cabinet. “

Jughead watches as he wrapped the band-aid around his finger, “Archie,” Jughead said. 

Archie looks up at him, “Yeah?” 

“Do you think… I can stay the night?” Jughead asked. Jug didn’t feel like going home that night because he knew his parents were in a bad situation right now and he didn’t want to make it worse. 

Archie’s face lit up, “Yes! Yes you can! We haven’t had a sleepover in a while,” Archie then immediately ran out the bathroom to his dad in the living room. “Hey, Dad?” 

“Yeah, kid?” he answered.

“Can Jughead stay the night?” Archie asked eagerly.

“Yeah, is something going on, Jughead?” Mr. Andrews asked Jug.

Jughead hesitated, “Um...my parents are arguing at home…” Jughead mumbled.

Mr.Andrews gave Jug a sympathetic look and then he hugged him, “Okay, Jug, I’m still going to have to tell your dad that you’re staying here, but you can stay as look as you want,” 

“Yeah, Jughead, you can share my room!” Archie said. He then got an idea and his face lights up again, “We should sleep in the treehouse!” 

“Are you sure about that, Archie?” his dad asked as he let go of Jughead. “It’ll just be the two of you in there,”

“We’ll be fine, we can always lock the door,” Archie reassured him. 

“Okay, you boys behave, alright?” Mr.Andrews said. Archie instantly ran into his room and came out with some pillows, blankets, and more comic books. He then ran to the kitchen to get some snacks.

“Thank you, Mr.Andrews,” Jughead thanked him.

“Anytime,” he smiled.

Archie struggled opening the back door with all the stuff he had in his hands, “I think I need a little help, Jug,”

Jughead laughed and helped open the door for him.

“Hey, Juggy,” someone called from behind Jughead, “I think your cup is overflowing,” Jug snapped back to reality and realized he was pouring too much into his cup.

“Shit,” Jughead swore as he went to go get a rag to clean it up. As he was cleaning up his mess, he looked back to whoever just talked to him. It was Cheryl. “Sorry,”

“It’s alright, it’s a party, my house is bound to be trashed,” Cheryl grinned, “anyway, so how was your little make-out sesh with Archiekins?” 

Jughead froze and turned his head to look at Cheryl, “How do you know about that?” he asked.

“I know all the drama that goes on at Riverdale High, Juggy,” Cheryl said, almost creepily. Their conversation was interrupted by a loud crash coming from the living room. 

It was Betty stumbling around and she accidentally knocked over a vase. Archie is trying to clean it up while helping Betty stand up and not break anything else.

“Hey! That was an antique!” Cheryl shouted.

“I should probably go help them,” Jughead excused himself. He walked over to Betty and grabbed one of her arms and wrapped around his shoulder to help her stand up properly. Archie finished up cleaning the broken vase and helped Betty too.

“Okay, Betty, we should go home,” Jughead told her.

Betty pouted, “But the party just started!!” she said drunkenly and slurring her words.

“No, we’re going home,” Jughead said as him and Archie helped Betty out the front door.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for this being so short! I'm not sure when I'll publish the next chapter, I'll probably do it when I get the motivation, which is really inconsistent. And I don't know how many chapters this will have, I guess we'll just make it up as we go! But I know that there's gonna be another one after this. That's all for now, again, thanks for reading!


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